TOP OF THE SYSTEM

A look at how the current top 20 prospects did today. Note that this list doesn’t include players currently in the majors. If a player is in the majors, he will be removed, everyone below him will be shifted up a spot, and a new player will be added to the bottom of the list. If a player is out for the season (Jameson Taillon #1, Clay Holmes #12), he will be removed and everyone below him will move up a spot. Removing these guys doesn’t mean they have lost prospect status. It is just an attempt to get 20 active prospects on the list. Rankings are from the mid-season top 20 update, and links on each name go to their Pirates Prospects player pages.

2014 PROSPECT GUIDE SALE!

The 2014 Prospect Guide is on sale in the Pirates Prospects store. The paperback version has dropped to $14.99 plus shipping. We currently only have one case of books remaining, and the offer is only valid while the books are in stock. There is also an eBook version available for $9.99. The 2013 Prospect Guide is on clearance for $1.

Game Notes: In his second start since returned from the DL with Indianapolis, Jake Brigham worked around 10 hits to allow just a pair of runs. This was a nice bounce back after Brigham allowed 8 hits and five runs in 4.2 innings in his first start.

Josh Kinney relieved Brigham and struck out one in 1.2 perfect innings. Ernesto Frieri worked the ninth and allowed one run on a hit and a walk in his second appearance since being outrighted to Indianapolis.

Chase d’Arnaud added his 15th double of the season, along with his 27th stolen base. Mel Rojas, Jr. launched his fifth home run of the season. – Ryan Palencer

Game Notes: Keon Broxton had a huge night, going 4-for-4 with two homers, giving him 13 on the season. He also stole his 19th base of the year. Broxton now has a .262/.350/.460 line in 367 at-bats this year. Alen Hanson hit his 11th homer of the year. Dan Gamache hit his fourth homer of the year. Matt Nevarez, a minor league free agent recently signed by the Pirates, made his debut, giving up a hit and two walks, with two strikeouts. Josh Bell was officially placed on the Altoona DL today.

Game Notes: Shane Carle made his eighth start of the year for Bradenton. He now has a 3.67 ERA in 49 innings, with a 31:13 K/BB ratio. Jose Osuna has been hot lately, with hits in six of his last seven games. On the season he has a .278/.322/.434 line in 320 at-bats. He hasn’t really earned a promotion to Altoona, although I could see him making that jump next year, just because the Pirates don’t usually send a prospect back to the same level for a third season in a row.

Game Notes: Bristol has been getting some strong offense lately, but tonight it wasn’t enough to overcome some poor pitching and poor fielding. Danny Arribas continued his hot streak, getting a hit in his seventh straight game. He’s got four multi-hit games in that span. Jerrick Suiter also has a seven game hitting streak, with four multi-hit games in that time. Nick Buckner continues a hot month of August, hitting for a .306/.389/.449 line in 49 at-bats.

Game Notes: Trey Supak had his best start of the year last time out. This time around he struggled, with all of the damage coming in the first inning. Supak gave up two homers for all three of his runs. He then settled down to throw three shutout innings. The GCL Pirates didn’t see much hitting, with just two hits, although they did draw a lot of walks. Cole Tucker drew three of those walks.

Game Notes: The Pirates put a beating on the Yankees2 on Tuesday and they did it despite reliable starter Richard Mitchell getting knocked out of the game in the second inning. Mitchell has been the team’s best pitcher since early in the season, but this wasn’t his day. He allowed five runs(three earned) on five hits and two walks in 1.2 innings. The bullpen was solid, allowing one run over the last 7.1 innings and the bats exploded for 17 runs. The first seven hitters in the lineup all crossed the plate at least twice. Third baseman Johan DeJesus scored three times despite going 0-for-4 in the game. Catcher Mikell Granberry played a full game for the first time in three weeks and drove in four runs. He missed all that time with a bad back, finally returning on Monday when he played just the first five innings. Jeremias Portorreal returned after missing one game and leaving Saturday’s game early when he got hurt on a slide into second base. He walked three times and scored twice. Edison Lantigua and Raul Siri each had three hits and drove in three runs. Siri had two doubles, giving him 25 on the year, tops in the league. There are just four games left in the DSL season. – John Dreker

Tim Williams

Tim is the owner and editor in chief of Pirates Prospects. He started the site in January 2009, and turned it into his full time job during the 2011 season. Prior to starting Pirates Prospects, Tim worked with AccuScore.com, providing MLB, NHL, and NFL coverage to various national media outlets, including ESPN Insider, USA Today, Yahoo Sports, and the Wall Street Journal. He also writes the annual Prospect Guide, which is sold through the site. Tim lives in Bradenton, where he provides live coverage all year of Spring Training, mini camp, instructs, the Bradenton Marauders, and the GCL Pirates.

Have the Bucs completely given up on D’arnaud? He is being groomed for a utility role and at least would bring speed to the Bucs bench over stiffs like Nix/Morel.

scrappy2499

That was what I was wondering also…He seems to be playing good at a lot of different positions this year. Can not be any worse then our current bench options.

ginbear

I think people underestimate how shaky D’Arnaud’s glove is. His career fielding percentage, for example, would be dead last in the Majors at both short and 2b, and has not improved over the years. They’ve given up on him completely at short, I think, considering he has yet to play there in 2014. His bat in no way makes up for his glove, and his speed – not enough. Sucks really – his “tools” would suggest he could fill a utility role, but he’s never really put it together.